Cotton-picker.



No. 891.962. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

W. P. SPBAR & E. W. TAVBL.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED sEPT.2a .19o'/.

2 BHEETS--BHBBT 1.

vPATENTBD JUNE 3C, 1908.

W. F. SPEAR & B. W. TAVEL.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.23, 1907.

` J WIW; ZU V T /ZzzffZ///gfl EN m' Unirse COTTON-PICKER.

Specification of Lettere Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1907. Serial No. 39^l,225.

u sied vehicle is iti-ranged to travel through tira" neld of cotton sud is provided with suction apparatus so erriuiged that the cotton .may be plucked .troni the bells and delivered into a suitable receptacle. i

The principal object of the invention is to provide a inncliine of4 very simple construe` tion in which provision is nmde for opsluitingthe 'suction fain or other vacuum producing apparatus independent of tbe movement of tbe vehicle, so that the latter may travel :it any desired speed and nnty come to ftfuil sto Without effecting tlie picking operation.

ifi) further object of the inventionis to construct :in apparatus in which picker tubes lare employed the tubes being provided with mouth -ieces of comparatively small. diameter so t at they may be directed against the individueb cotton boils in, order to remove the cotton from the boils Without drawing in unnecessary trash, and dirt.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this class in which the Workmen may be supported by suitable seats hung from the rear portion of the vehicle, and in such position as to lieve e clear view of the row or rowsof cotton plants, so that they Will be free to pluck the .ripened boils.

Vvitli these and other objects in View, as Will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel tentures of construction and arrangement ol parts, herein* after fully described, illustrated in the :icconipanying drawings', and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the forni, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit o1" sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

j' In the accompanying drawings eFigurc l is `a side elevationv of u pneumatic cotton pickeI' -construo'ted in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a reni' eicvstiou ci tiro suine. Fig. 3 is u, dctuil sectional View or" one ol the picker tubes.

Similar numerals el rollin-w ployed 'to indice-te corr throughout the si-ivciul liguri ings.

The vehicle compris-iu; .i suitiibli A supported by front und reluI wire provided with u dirait toire-ue: tl tu u draft anuncis may be itt/melted in manner.

Mounted on tire platform is u reccptiuile l() of any suitable size, sind to tire reni' of this receptacle is u rotary .bin il, tbe simil; 12 of which is connected-by e. driving; beit i3 to 'fr the-11min sini-ft leiol" e iuotor i5, the motor in the present instaure beingn .in tire izrni uf en internal combustion engine, so that fan may be driven wholly independent of the movement oi the vehicle und. desired speed. l l l rrengeiii to the reni'- o" tin: plet't u is s transversely disposed suction tube i7 Wliicli is connected by :i bmuclled i' itl itc tbc eyes of the fen, the liru operating to p luce any desired degree of' vecuuin .in tid tube 17.

The apparatus is preferably e suoli widtl: as to permit the picking of cotton simultaneously from tbree adjacent .rows or plnnts and to accomplish this any suitable nuinbe of `picker tubes 2() muy be connected te t' mein suction tube l?.

The picker tubes are. flexible ably are fo :ined of rubber or ribb hose, or sinlilnr iinpervicus umterisi. jecting from the tube i7 nre u threaded nipples which n i the upper ends oi tubes by couplings being rfhuliiy del.y plugs .may be placed on tlio ure not in use, in order not to int the suction` through tbe picker tui in the lower free end oi eiicli tube is inserted si. short cylinder or tubo 2li, lornied of nictsl. or similar rigid materiel. The tube. 24 is 10c vidcd'witli threads for tire 'rer-,option coupling 25 carrying n. parir of bilI picker tubes 26 euch formed oi :i scc ylerible tubing, and et tlie end. of tbc tube e. rigid coller or cylinder Z7 Wiii'li servos to m5 prevent collapse ot' the tube ur. L:sun-i. from the hand ot the operator.

Tlic'moutlis oli' the tubes :ire of coinn panatively small diameter, being just su'icient to receive the cotton from a sin le boil,

so that unnecessary trash and dirt Wil not be y drawn through the tube and delivered into the receptacle.

For convenience of the workmen, seats or saddles are provided, these' saddles being so arranged that the workmen seated there? on may readily grasp one picker tube in each hand and manipulate the saine, while lthe head' of the workmanl is ,below the level of the platform, so that he may readily pick out the ripened boils and work rapidly without necessitating the stop ing of the Inaclu'ne. In

order that the wor man may be seated as low as possible, stirrup 'bars 31 are employed. In carrying out the invention, any desired number of picker tubes may be connected to the rnain suction pipe 17, 'and in the present instance three tubes are shown as connected to the lower ortion of the main suction tube, and two ad itional tubes are shown as cori-v ne'cted to the ends of the main tube, these being used by workmen walking at the sides of the machine for pickingthe outer portion of the plants adjacent tothe wheels, or for picking the bolls from adjacentA rows of plants. s

With a device constructed in accordance with this ,invention the cotton' may be plucked without danger of gathering trash or dirt,l so that the Acotton will be cleaner and command a much higher lprice than where a suction apparatus is arranged to cover the entire plant 'and thus deliver to the receptafan driving motor, a main suction tube con-A l nected to the Afan and disposed transversely at the rear of the vehicle, a plurality of iieXi ble picker tubes connected to the main suct on tube pendent saddles carried by thev frame and disposed adjacent to the-picker tubes,lwhereby the latter may be directly operated to engage therows of which the pickery is advancing; Y

l 2. In a pneumatic cotton picker, a Wheeled frame, a receptacle thereon, aisuction fan, a fan driving motor, a -main suction tube confnected to vthe fan, a plurality of flexible picker tubes connected to the main 'suction tube, pendent saddles/carried by the franie and disposed at the rear end thereof adjacent to the picker tubes and at a suticient dis,-

tance below the frame7 whereby the tubes may be'conveniently handled and applied to 'the plants over which the picker;v is advanc- 1n K l In testimony that we claim the foregonig as our own, we have hereto afiixedour signatures inthe presence of two witnesses. t

c WILLIAM FRANKLIN SPEAR. EDWARD 'WOODS TAVEL.

Witnesses:

v'Hinarnmra M MUELLER, J. P. DO HERTY plants over 

